The keto diet is a healthy way of living that also helps you lose massive amounts of weight. Total Keto Diet for Beginners provides you with everything you need to start the keto diet: from how to calculate macros to keto food lists, to five keto meal plans to select to suit your lifestyle & of course all of the ketogenic rules you need to know like what foods to avoid on the keto diet! If you are looking for information on how to start losing weight on the ketogenic diet, Total Keto for Beginners is the place to start!

The keto diet can be confusing. One minute you’ve got it all together & you’re searching for weight loss recipes and next thing you know you’re looking up macro counts on a foreign website because you think you may be doing the whole keto diet wrong!

It happens to the best of us.

That’s why I wrote this guide-Total Keto Diet For Beginners. To help you navigate the keto diet without losing your mind! Hey-I understand you may be skeptical of all the weight loss gurus out there. Sometimes I wander how many go It’s not like there is a shortage of keto blogs on the internet.

But this is not just another keto blog. Seriously, the keto diet changed my life.

Before

After

Five years ago I was a little heavier than I am now. After a series of unfortunate events, including being called fat by one of my daughter’s friends and realizing I was becoming a shut-in due to my weight & a heavy cloud of depression, I decided to start this life-changing keto diet that I didn’t believe in at first. It appealed to me because I loved food & I refused to starve myself. I saw results immediately, and once I gained momentum there was no stopping me. I lost more than 20 pounds in the first two months. That’s when I started to believe in the keto diet. You can read more here.

Via FITONIC

I’ve been fat. I’ve been skinny. Now, I’m strong. If you want to lose weight, no matter how much-a little or a lot-I can help you do that.

Over the past five years I’ve learned a few things that I think will help you lose weight on the keto diet too. This guide outlines everything you need to know.

As cheesy as it may sound, you can change your life with this diet.

Not just shed a few pounds for a wedding, or get in shape for bikini season, I’m talking about real life altering progress.

The keto diet offers many health benefits in addition to weight loss that have impacted my life big time. It helped with my depression, balanced my hormones, stabilized my crazy migraines and I look ten years younger. Hell, let’s be honest. I’m a different person now. And that’s fine. Because I hated who I had allowed myself to become. But enough about me, let’s get to keto!

Halle Berry revealed earlier this year she uses the ketogenic diet to manage her Type 2 diabetes and credits the diet for slowing down her aging process. Popular versions of the keto diet include the South Beach Diet & the Induction Phase of The Atkins Diet. Today we are talking about the straight up standard ketogenic diet for weight loss.

Ketosis & The Keto Diet

Ketones are produced in the liver from fat when you eat very few carbs and moderate amounts of protein. Your body & your brain then uses these ketones for fuel.

When you are on the keto diet, your body switches from using carbs to fat as fuel/energy sources. As a result, insulin levels decrease and fat burning increases. Big Time.

This ultimate fat burning mode is known as ketosis.

Fat Burning Mode = Ketosis

When your body is producing ketones you have entered ketosis-which is a natural metabolic state. (Not a danger zone like Ketoacidosis-which is a dangerous complication of Type-1 Diabetes.) Once you’re in ketosis your body has started to work for you & burn fat for fuel.

You will also feel more alert, energized, less hungry, and focused.

Macros

If you’ve read anything about the keto diet then you’ve likely seen the words macros & micros tossed around (like you should know what those are.)

Don’t feel bad if you had to google macro. It gets a lot of hits!

When keto people are talking Macro’s they are referring to the amount of fats, protein, and carbs you need to hit ketosis.

Macro is short for macronutrient. Macronutrients are fats, protein, and carbohydrates. Our body needs these nutrients to grow, develop and repair itself. Macro’s contain calories & every macronutrient contains a certain number of calories per gram.

For example: 30 grams of Fat contains 270 calories. 30 grams of Protein contains 120 calories. 30 grams of carbs contains 120 calories. You can get lost in these numbers. DON’T. Let’s move on. I’m sorry I brought it up.

Micro is short for micronutrient. Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals and they are also necessary for life but in smaller amounts.

Typically on the keto diet you’ll get 10% of your calories from carbs, 15-25% from protein, and 70% or more from fat.

UGH! How Many Macros Do I Need To Get Into Ketosis????

All you have to do is insert your body fat percentage (you can use this to figure it out), gender, weight, activity level, and weight loss goals! You’ll find out exactly how many calories you need to be eating as well as what your daily macronutrients should look like!

Signs of Ketosis

In the beginning of the diet it may be easy to say forget it & throw in the towel because you don’t know if it’s working…Maybe you’ve shed a little water weight, but you expected more. You didn’t give up your favorite breakfast smoothie & swear off fast food for nothing! You need to know your sacrifices are paying off. I get it!

So how do you know if the diet is working?

While your body won’t be sending you an email alert when you hit ketosis, it will give you a few distinct signs that you are entering the fat burning nirvana.

Bad Breath – This is the most common sign your body is in ketosis. You may experience a metal-ish taste or even a fruity taste. However you describe it, bad breath is a good thing because it means you body has started to feed off of it’s fat stores. Chewing sugar free gum will help until your body gets used to the diet & then your breath will go back to normal! You won’t have chronic halitosis forever!

Decreased Appetite – This fabulous benefit comes along with most low carb diets. You aren’t eating sugar and carbs so you don’t experience the blood sugar roller coaster’s peaks and crashes like you used to. Also, factor in that the foods you are eating are full of healthy fats and energy sustaining protein. Or it may be the ketones working on the hunger hormones. My personal experience? I don’t get hungry anymore. I once was a stone cold carb addict. I couldn’t go an hour without some kind of sugar laden carb filled snack or drink in my hand or on my table. Cheeze-Its & Dr. Peppers nearly did me in. Now, not so much.

What You Can Eat On The Keto Diet

Butter

Ghee

Coconut Oil

Lard

Bacon Fat

Duck Fat

Beef Tallow

Avocado Oil

Olive Oil

Macadamia Nut Oil

Walnut Oil (Use Small Amounts)

MCT Oil

Palm Oil

Meat

Pretty much every meat you can think of is on the keto diet! Just in case you can’t think of it-I’ve listed it here! Grill it, bake it, boil it, slow cook it. Meat is always a fabulous low carb choice!

Alligator

Bear

Beef

Bison

Boar

Buffalo

Deer

Buffalo

Elk

Lamb

Moose

Pork

Snake

Veal

Cured Meats

Pepperoni – Bacon – Deli Meat – Sausages – Salami

Poultry

Chicken

Hen

Quail

Turkey

Pheasant

Duck

Fish

Anchovies

Bass

Catfish

Cod

Halibut

Flounder

Eel

Haddock

Red Snapper

Sardines

Salmon

Sole

Trout

Tuna

Tilapia

Mackerel

Mahi Mahi

Orange Roughy

Shellfish

Abalone

Caviar

Crab

Clams

Lobster

Mussels

Octopus

Oysters

Scallops

Shrimp

Snails

Squid

Eggs

Chicken Eggs

Goose Eggs

Duck Eggs

Quail Eggs

Fruits

[MOST FRUIT IS TOO HIGH IN CARBS TO RISK IT! THESE ARE OK IN VERY SMALL AMOUNTS]

Avocados & Olives

Blackberries

Blueberries

Cranberries

Lemon

Lime

Raspberry

Strawberry

Vegetables

Arugula

Asparagus

Artichokes

Broccoli

Bell Peppers

Boy Choy

Brussels Sprouts

Cabbage

Cauliflower

Celery

Chard

Collard Greens

Cucumbers

Eggplant

Endives

Fennel

Green Beans

Jalapeño Peppers

Garlic

Iceberg Lettuce

Kale

Leeks

Mushrooms

Mustard Greens

Onions

Peppers

Scallions

Spaghetti Squash

Spinach

Swiss Chard

Tomatoes

Turnip Greens

Zucchini

Nuts & Seeds

Almonds

Brazil Nuts

Cashews

Hazelnuts

Macadamias

Peanuts

Pecans

Pine Nuts

Pistachios

Pumpkin Seeds

Sesame Seed

Soy Nuts

Sunflower Seeds

Walnuts

Dairy

Butter

Blue Cheese

Brie

Cheddar

Cottage Cheese

Cream Cheese

Feta Cheese

Greek Yogurt

Goat Cheese

Half & Half

Heavy Whipping Cream

Mozzarella

Parmesan

Provolone

Ricotta

Swiss

Sour Cream

Foods To Avoid Keto Diet

GRAINS

Pasta

Rice

Wheat

Oats

Barley

Rye

Corn

Beer

Quinoa

Couscous

Rice Flour

Bran

Buckwheat

Millet

White Flour

Wheat Flour

*Most Flours As A Rule

Sugar

SUGAR IS NOT ALLOWED! AVOID THESE COMMON SUGAR FILLED FOODS!

Sodas

Juice

Sports Drinks

Chocolate

Ice Cream

Cookies

Candy

Fruit Juice

Avoid These Ingredients

White Sugar

Agave

Brown Sugar

Corn Syrup

Coconut Sugar

Fructose

Dextrose

Lactose

Glucose

Honey

Maple Syrup

Fruit to Avoid

Canned Fruit

Apples

Orange

Bananas

Kiwi

Grapes

Peaches

Watermelon

Processed Foods: If it comes in a bag or a box it’s probably processed food which is NOT on the keto diet!

Stay Away From

Bread

Cereal

Cakes

Chips

Pastries

Pretzels

Pancakes

Snack Bars

Most Sauces

Crackers

Baked Goods

Muffins

Ice Cream

Avoid Milk

Both full & low-fat milk are not allowed as they are high in carbs

Legumes

Avoid All Beans, Lentils & Soybeans on the Keto Diet!

No Chickpeas

No Baked Beans

No Black Beans

No Pinto Beans

No Kidney Beans

No Lima Beans

(*Exception for Green Beans & Peas-You can have those)

Avoid Unhealthy Fats & Oils

Canola Oil

Corn Oil

Peanut Oil

Grapeseed Oil

Safflower Oil

Soybean Oil

Sunflower Oil

Keto Friendly Herbs & Spices

Basil Leaves

Black Pepper

Cayenne Pepper

Chili Powder

Cilantro

Cumin

Dill

Sage

Sea Salt

White Pepper

Italian Seasoning

Rosemary

Oregano

Garlic Powder

Paprika

Parsley

Thyme

Alcohol & Keto

Yes, you can have a glass of wine. No, you cannot drink the entire bottle. If you’re looking for carb counts, here’s a couple you may find helpful.

Pinot Noir comes in with the lowest carb count at 3.4 grams for a 5 ounce glass in case you’re looking for a red. There are a few whites that have a low carb count too-like Pinot Grigio. It has 3.4 grams. So a little wine is fine.

Beer AKA ‘Liquid Bread” is out of the question. It’s loaded with gluten! Just red flag it & move on! Straight up liquor is your lowest carb option. Tequila!, Vodka, Rum, and Gin all have 0 carbs & Brandy only has a few. Keep in mind this is without mixers like juice & soda. Those are loaded with sugars & carbs & are OFF LIMITS on the keto diet! Keep it neat & you’ll be fine!

What I Did To Lose Weight

The first few months of my diet were so BORING. I ate the same thing over & over again. Cheddar cheese, boiled eggs, grilled chicken, fat bombs, and steak. Slowly, I became a low carb lunatic. My refusal to try anything different was driving my family crazy too. But I needed to be 100% sure the recipes I used would keep me in ketosis. Maybe I was a little paranoid someone would sneak in a carb to sabotage me? That sounds so ridiculous now, but in the beginning it was a thing! I’ve found these ebooks from Tastaholics that have saved my sanity. Seriously.

All of the recipes are 5 NET CARBS or LESS & have 5 INGREDIENTS & ARE SUPER EASY TO MEAL PREP!

4 Keto Meal Plans

You have several options here. I ultimately decided to go with a meal plan that was all inclusive just to save time. I understand this doesn’t fit everyone’s budget and lifestyle, so I’m listing several keto meal plans to help you get started.

This 30 day meal plan outlines the diet & gives you a basic shopping list, but the main attraction is the recipes. Over 90 ketogenic meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! All low carb keto friendly recipes with a good variety so you won’t have to endure the boredom I suffered!

Need to simplify your life? How does 5 ingredients, 5 steps, & only 5 net carbs per meal sound? This was the first keto meal plan I used & I’m still happy with the variety! High-quality easy recipes that don’t use crazy hard to find ingredients! Plus, they send shopping lists & snack recommendations so you can take that job off of your To Do list! You can try it for free!

Yes. You can do keto AND be a vegetarian. This plan reviews the basics of how a vegetarian keto diet looks & provides 90 recipes for breakfast, lunch, & dinner. Even if you aren’t a vegetarian this is a great resource for healthy low carb keto recipes!

Free Meal Plan for week one. This one covers the basics of the diet & gives you a snapshot of what you’re working with menu wise by providing keto friendly recipes for breakfast, lunch, & dinner for your first seven days of the ketogenic diet.

A Few Words on the Keto Flu

Maybe you’ve heard of it? While it isn’t caused by an actual virus or even ketosis, the keto flu is very REAL. What is it? The keto flu is the name given to the symptoms your body has when it goes through carb restriction. The best way to avoid it is to stay on top of your electrolyte intake by eating enough sodium, potassium, and magnesium.

Symptoms of Keto Flu Include

Difficulty Sleeping/Insomnia

Fatigue

Headache

Digestive Upset

Lack of Focus

Irritability

Sugar Cravings

Nausea

Mental Fog

Heart Palpitations/Arrhythmia

Constipation

Cramps (Leg & Muscle)

Dizziness

High or Low Blood Pressure

Sounds like a disaster doesn’t it? I know, right. Look, the good news is that everyone doesn’t experience the keto flu and if you do the symptoms don’t last forever. The symptoms usually start around the first couple of days of carb restriction. You can read more about the keto flu here. If you’re going through it right now you can try a couple of these remedies to make yourself feel less like a walking train wreck.

Keto Flu Remedies

Bone Broth -It may not sound appetizing, but bone broth is delicious and more importantly, full of electrolytes! Bones are loaded with electrolyte minerals, and when simmered on low heat for hours (12 hours via your crockpot) these bits of super nutrition get excreted into the broth. Kettle & Fire has a fabulous 100% Grass-fed Bone Broth you can buy online. More into cooking? Here’s a recipe!

Pink Himalayan Salt – Now that you’ve cut your carb intake your body won’t be holding on to sodium as much as before. Insulin levels usually go down on a low carb diet, and you’ll be losing water at a rapid pace during the induction period. This means you’ll be losing sodium (salt) too! Pink Himalayan Salt is special because it contains 84 different minerals & it helps to regulate blood sugar levels which is VIP on a keto diet. Use this stuff to season your food, drinks, hell, shoot it like vodka. Just get the sodium into your system ASAP.

Take A Supplement – There are a variety of supplements available that you can use to combat the keto flu. PLEASE DO NOT use a Potassium supplement before speaking to your doctor! Potassium is known to cause heart irregularities & you can easily accidentally take too much!

What’s The Difference Between Keto Diet & Low Carb Diet?

Many people confuse the keto diet & low carb diets & it’s important for you to know the difference! Here’s the thing. A “low carb diet” may include a lot of ingredients the keto diet doesn’t allow.

It’s up to you if you want to go all in 100% strict keto. If you want to benefit from the fab fat burning that everyone is raving about then that’s the route you need to take.

KETO. Not low carb.

WHY???

Because a strict ketogenic diet will put your body into ketosis & a low carb diet will not. Well, maybe it will, maybe it won’t. Who knows? On a “low carb diet” you don’t usually keep up with your #’s like you do on keto. Things are, shall we say, a little more fast and loose? Foods are allowed on low carb diets that are not allowed on keto. Take beans for example. Not allowed on the keto diet. Why? Because of carbs. Are they lower in carbs than a bowl of pasta? Yep. See the problem? Look, I love beans, so please don’t email me if you are a low carb bean enthusiast. All I am saying is that there is a difference between keto & low carb!:)

Keto Diet Tips

Plan Your Meals – If you don’t meal prep now, it’s time to start! This will make a HUGE difference! Not only will meal planning & prepping keep your diet on track it will save you a TON of MONEY on food! I know it doesn’t sound like fun-TRUST ME. I KNOW. It took a long time for me to become a meal prep person. I hate the grocery store. And I don’t love cooking. But you know what I hated more? Being fat! That may be harsh, but it’s true. You can read more about how to meal prep on the keto diet here!

Count Every Win – Every time you successfully avoid a carb pat yourself on the back. Don’t celebrate by eating a cake, but do give yourself credit! Dieting is hard. Reward yourself!

Get a Keto Diet Buddy – You may find it easier to stick to the diet if you have a friend who is also ditching the carbs. It can get pretty lonely being the only one at the lunch table without a bun. (It’s not impossible though!)

Document Your Progress – Do this Now! You are going to drop a lot of weight & you will want to track your progress! Take pictures & measurements of yourself at your current weight. Be sure to get your waistline, bust, arms, etc. You should also make a quick video of yourself. You don’t have to post it on Facebook or Instagram-keep it for yourself! Talk about why you want to lose weight, why you aren’t happy with the way you look & how your life will be different when you meet your weight loss goals. This may sound silly & cheesy, but this is a big step in making it happen! There is science behind it. People that write down their goals & keep a vlog (video+blog) of their progress stay focused & are more likely to succeed.

Tell Your Friends & Family – Make sure the people closest to you know you’ve decided to change your lifestyle & health. They can’t support you if they don’t know! This will also keep you from having to constantly remind everyone you can’t eat bread. *Hopefully!

Keto Grocery List

Ready to do this? Ok! Here are the things you need in your kitchen that won’t cost you a fortune! No, you don’t have to go buy a Spiralizer unless you just really want to! You may already have some of these things so don’t forget to take inventory before you go to the store! I hope this helps! Please let me know if there is anything I can help you with!

It’s not as attractive, but it’s way more practical! I’m working on my graphic design skills-hopefully I’ll get better with time! If you have trouble downloading please let me know & I’ll email you a copy!

Before you go – It takes hard work, discipline, dedication & a focused mind to lose weight, & stick to the keto diet!

I know. I’ve been there! The keto diet helped me lose 90 pounds! That’s an entire 4th grader for those of you who like a visual:)

If a 40-something mother of three kids can do it – you can too! For more tips, recipes, & inspiration, subscribe to join me or follow me on Pinterest!

Reader Interactions

(2) Comments

Have you heard of anyone gaining weight to start. I have been doing it for two weeks and have gained 4lbs. I used a macro calculator , I am following it. I do have trouble getting the total fat. Any suggestions, thank you!